So, I have already discussed Machine Learning, and how it can think for itself with a bit of teaching. Now it's time for how this can be used in biotechnology!
The main example being talked about here is Artificial Selection. And no, I don't mean providing an input and being responded with a selected output. I mean breeding!
Artificial Selection is the process in which two animals/breeds are selected, and then a machine compared the most likely results of personality traits and physical looks.
Machine Learning plays a super important role in this process. Using machine learning can improve the results over time and generate amazingly accurate results without the need of living subjects. For example, an MLP (Machine Learning Program) would be able to pull information and traits of one breed, compare it to the next, and run some algorithms to find out which traits and looks are most likely to be passed on to the other.
There are a few benefits and risks for (individual, society, and the environment) though! Let's go ahead and review them.
Individual: Individuals who are making/proceeding with the experiment could have good and bad consequences from this process. For example, a benefit could be results that could prove that you should not breed certain animals, while a disadvantage could also be that the results have a chance of being inaccurate, and leading to some major backlash against the individual because of this.
Society: There could be some major impacts on society, not only good, but some bad. For example, we could have just found a new favorite dog breed, possibly even the smartest. However, some people could be majorly scared or allergic to that specific breed, causing some issues.
Economic: There are always going to be good and bad changes in the ecosystem. Especially messing around with life and creating new species. A benefit of this could be creating a new species to remove invasive ones; while a disadvantage of this could be a huge impact on our ecosystem, potentially leading to many severe consequences worldwide such as Starvation, Ecosystem Disruptions, and so much more!
Personally, I am with this process! I think it is amazing and can do many great things; while I also believe that this process should be a carefully supervised and thought-through process.
A small example of this process could be an AI image. In this case, I just generated an AI image of a breed between a Siberian Husky and a Beagle. (THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE AND DOES NOT REPRESENT THE POWER OF ARTIFICIAL SELECTION OR BIOTECHNOLOGY)
These are the AI Generated details about this breed:
Size: This dog is usually medium-sized, falling somewhere between the size of a Beagle and a Siberian Husky.
Coat: The coat can vary, but often it's a combination of the Husky's thick, double-layered coat and the Beagle's shorter, dense fur. Coat colors can include a mix of black, white, brown, and gray. The coat might be, but isn't always, the thick double coat typical of a Husky.
Ears: The ears are typically a blend of the erect ears of a Husky and the floppy ears of a Beagle. They could be semi-erect or completely floppy.
Face: The face may have the strong, wolf-like features of a Husky combined with the softer features of a Beagle. Eye color can vary, with some Beaskis inheriting the striking blue eyes of a Husky, while others may have the brown eyes typical of a Beagle.
Body: The body is usually well-muscled and sturdy. The chest might be broad like a Husky's, but the body length may be more in line with the Beagle's proportions.
Tail: The tail can vary, but it might be a bushy tail like that of a Husky, potentially curling over the back, or a more straightforward Beagle-like tail.
Behavior and Temperament: Beaskis are likely to be energetic and playful, given the high energy levels of both parent breeds. They are usually friendly and affectionate, good with families, and may have a strong prey drive due to the Beagle's hunting background and the Husky's working dog heritage.
Now that we have seen an example of how this works, comment some ways that you think an MLP could help this process, and possibly even stop economic problems!
If you haven't already, go check out my machine learning article. Seeya in another article hopefully!
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